Tape antenna system



Nov; 13, 1951 c. N. EHRLICH TAPE ANTENNA SYSTEM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 16. 1949 maw/ INVENTOR CHARLES N. EHRLICH ATTORNEY Noy. 13, 1951 c. N. EHRLICH 2,574,733

TAPE ANTENNA SYSTEM Filed April 16. 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 35 Fly.

\ 53 |NVENTOR u CHARLES N. EHRLICH ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1951 TAPE ANTENNA SYSTEM Charles: N. Ehrlich, New York, N. Y., assignor to Tale-Tone Radio Corporation, a corporation: of

New York:

Application April 16, 1949, SerialN'o. 87,993

6 Claims.

This invention relates to antenna radio. systems and especiallyto antenna systems of the tape or coil type.

In a copending application Serial No. 81,243, filed by Sidney Lidz on March 14, 1949, which i's sued August 28', 1951, asv Patent No. 2,56 an antenna is disclosed having two positions, one inoperative position in which theantenna is wound oil? into a coil, and an operative position in which the antenna is wound up to extend more or less freely into space.

One of the objects of this: invention is to improve the mounting of the antenna system.

Another object of the invention is to improvethe electrical connection of the. conducting elements of the antenna system.

A further object of the invention. is a tape: antenna system which may be. easily mounted and demounted as a whole and which. is also readily saleable by itself. without attachment to a particular receiver yet sufllciently supple in struc-- tural conception so as to be readily attached to areceiver of any type, or at least of any marketable construction.

A more specific object of the invention is contact means attached to the coil housing at the exit thereof.

A further specific; object; of the invention is to curve. the tape in a direction. perpendicular toits longitudinal extension, preferably convexly with. respect tothe axis; of. the coil and also to, use such curvature toachieveeffective contact with a metal brush orother: contact means sup.- ported on the coil housing.

A still more specific object of the invention is an antenna unit of the tape or: coil type inwhich tape or tapes as well as housin and contact means form a single unit attachable to or supportable in the cabinet more or less flush with the top wall of the cabinet or slightly raised above such top wall so as to. be. as inconspicuous as possible in case the receiver cabinet is to be carried around; yet according: to another feature of the. invention the tape, antenna unit is easily put into operation by pulling the. antenna tapes from their flush position into space while at the. same time afiording easy rotatability tov adapt the antenna unit to diiierentangles of reception.

A further embodiment of the invention is a system combining tapes and contact means: which while substantially supported; in. the cabinet; or forming at least part thereof is readily movable; or: rotatable from the outside so as: to permit actuation of the tape: or: tapes to optimum post: than without interfering with eflective contact conditione These and other objects of the invention will be more fully illustrated in the accompanying draw-- ing, a description of which follows:

Figures 1 and 2 in front and side elevation respectively show a tape antenna unit embodying certain features of the invention.

Figure 3 shows an appropriate contact device.

Figure 4 shows a modified contact device, in onestage of its manufacture.

Figure 5 shows this latter contact device in a succeeding stage of manufacture.

Figures 6 and 7 in front and side elevation respectively show the carrying partof a tape anten na unit such as shown in Figures 1 and 2 butslightly modified with respect to the corresponding part of Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 8 and 9 in side and front elevation show the contact parts of Figures 4 and 5' assembled with a tape coil.

Figure 10 shows the tape end construction.

Figure 11 shows a tape antenna unit saleable by itself without requiring attachment to a particu lar receiver;

In Figures 1 and 2, I: represents a supporting disk of Bakelite or the like plastic arranged slightly to project from the top or top portion 2 of a cabinet 2 which is shown only partly.

Disk l: projects sufliciently' above the top wall or the cabinet to permit of being handled or r0:- tatedfrom the outside of the cabinet- Supported. on disk I or made of one piece therewith, there is a second disk 3 also of Bakelite or the like of slightly smaller diameter than disk: I. This: second. disk 3' (or a disk-shaped projection: on; disk I) fits throughopening 4 of top panel 2'. of the receiver into an. opening 5- of supporting plate 6 attached at l to the inside of top panel 2..

Disks l and 3 are heldv in place in opening 4 by washers 8 attached by screws. 9 tothe bottom of disk 3 at diametrical. portions of disk 3.

At the bottom of disk or disk portion 3' there also are attached brackets Ill and H which ontheir lower portions l2, l3 carry coil housings It, IS in parallel. adjacent positions, yet preferably, as shown, insulated from each other.

The. upper portions. I6 I! of brackets I0, I i are formed. as: take-off contacts aswill bebetter ex-- plained further below in connection, with Figure 3.

Disks 2: and 3 are provided: with openings shown at 2.0;, 213 respectively to; permit tapes 22,, 23 when emerging from coilhcusings Ul, IE. to. extend free. ly into space at any desired distance as indicated; by arrows: 241,. 25.

There is? no necessity; however; that. the tapes should extend freely into space. They may he.

Any other curvature such as a concave curvature with reference to the center or axis of the coil or coils may be used without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Such concave or preferably convex curvatures The entire unit after having been bent is cadmium plated. The holes shown but not designated serve as a means to take off the current and also to be attached if necessary and wherever required.

Figures 6 and 7 show a modification of the supporting disks I, 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The two disks form a single unit 35 and are made of Bakelite or other plastic or insulating material. Supporting disk 35 is attached to and supported on top arm of contact devices such as shown in Figure 5 by means of screws fitting into openings 36. .31 is the opening for tape emergence.

Figures 8 and 9 show a modification of the coil housings shown in Figures 1 and 2 assembled together with a contact device such as shown in will increase the stiffness of the coil and also facilitate electrical contact.

The provision of a convex curvature may require the attachment of additional spring means inside the coil to facilitate recoiling, yet the stiffness and the self-supporting properties resulting from such curvature and the improved contact condition have been found to more than compensate for this structural addition.

Figure 3 shows a contact device in a schematical perspective view.

Contact bracket 28 is formed of a single piece of conducting metal or a non-conducting metal or plastic provided with a conducting surface. Bracket 28 has two arms, one, 29, which serves to be attached to the coil housing or any other part of the antenna or receiver structure. Another arm 3|] of bracket 28 serves to form a guide for tape 3| and it extends with a flat portion 32 over the convex curvature of tape 3|. This flat portion has edges 33, 34 overlapping the convex portion of tape 3|. The upper part 35 of holder 30 is bent back to permit tape 3| freely to emerge from the coil housing and extend into space at a predetermined angle. Part 30 also serves to be attached to the lower surface of disk or disk portion 3 in Figures 1 and 2.

The inner distance between edges 33, 34 forming contact guides for tape 3|, is approximately the same or even slightly smaller than the shortest distance between bent-up edges of tape 3|. This while still permitting insertion of the tape, will enhance effective contact between contact part 32 and tape 3| in any longitudinal and angular position of tape 3 At the same time, as already stated above, a' constant space angular position of the tape or tapes emerging from the coil or coils is assured irrespective of the diameter of the coil and the length of the tape extending therefrom.

This is of great advantage bearing in mind that the space angles usually vary with the various tape lengths, the latter corresponding to different reception conditions prevailing for different channels. The contact device shown in Figure 3 assures a predetermined angle of emergence. However, if necessary part 32 may be hinged on part 30.

'Any form, construction and arrangement of contact means are within the scope of the invention in accordance with the principles set forth blank used in the manufacture of such contact device.

Figure 5 shows the blank of Figure 4 after having been' subjected to various bending operations.

Figure 4. The coil housing consists of two symmetrical parts 38 which do not cover tape 39 completely, yet are sufiiciently large to provide, through connection by screw 4|, rigidity'for the structure. Tape 39 is rather large in width to insure sufficient stifiness of the tape when extending into space. The width is of the order of the curvature is of the order of 2 inches. In this way a coil housing is made at minimum expense in material and machining operations.

Tape 39 is shown in Figure 8 convexly curved (see 39) and the end thereof is provided with a button 42 which slightly projects from the surface of the unit or the cabinet supporting it.

Figure 10 shows in greater detail the attachment of button 42 to convex tape 39 by means of screw 43.

Button 42' is of Bakelite or any other insulating material.

Figure 11 partly in section shows a tape antenna unit which may be attached to any existing receiver of more or less standard construction. The

supporting disk is shown at 44 with the tapes 45' and 46 projecting therefrom. Supporting disk 44 which may be of a construction such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and is attached to housing 41 by means of plate 48 similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 at 6. The rest of the elements supported by 4'! together with a pair of parallel: contact devices 49, 50 are similar to that shown in Figures 4 and 5'. Housing 41 is covered by a plate 5| attached by screws 52. Cable 53 serves to connect the contact devices 49, 50 provided in the unit with the elements of the receiver circuit' or any other circuit with which the tape antenna unit is supposed to cooperate.

I claim:

1. Antenna system comprising at least one ber'having a flat lower portion attached to one side wall'of the coil housing and a fiat upper portion extending perpendicular to said side wall' portion so as to be attachable to a surface perpendicular to'the coil, an angular extension being provided on said perpendicular portion hav"--- ing projections engaging the tape when emerging from the coil housing, said projections having bent over edges engaging corresponding edgeportions of the" tape in sliding contact relation-- 2. Antenna system comprising at -least one: conducting tape having two positions, an mop-1 erative one in :Which the tape is' wound up into' .1275 a coil and an operative one in which thetapeis;

wound off at least partly to extend into space, a housing for said tape; and a contact member formed of a flat stamped metal blank, said member having a flat lower portion attached to one side wall of the coil housing and a fiat upper portion extending perpendicular to said side wall portion so as to be attachable to a surface perpendicular to the coil, an angular extension being provided on said perpendicular portion having projections engaging the tape when emerging from the coil housing, said projections having bent over edges engaging corresponding edge portions of the tape in sliding contact relationship, the inner distance between said bent over edges being not larger than the shortest distance measured across the edges of the tape.

3. Antenna system comprising at least one conducting tape having two positions, an inoperative one in which the tape is wound up into a coil and an operative one in which the tape is wound off at least partly to extend into space, a housing for said tape; and a contact member formed of a flat stamped metal blank, said mem her having a flat lower portion attached to one side wall of the coil housing and a flat upper portion extending perpendicular to said side wall portion so as to be attachable to a surface perpendicular to the coil, an angular extension being provided on said perpendicular portion having projections engaging the tape whenemerging from the coil housing, said projections having bent over edges engaging corresponding edge portions of the tape in sliding contact relationship, the inner distance between said bent over edges being not larger than the shortest distance measured across the edges of the tape, the tape being convexly curved with respect to the center of the coil.

4. Television receiver comprising a flat wall portion, a carrying member supported rotatably in an opening of said wall portion so as slightly to project therefrom and further comprising at least one conducting tape having two positions, an inoperative one in which the tape is wound up to a coil and an operative one in which the tape is wound off at least partly to extend into space, a housing for said tape closely surrounding said coil and having an exit to permit said tape to extend therefrom at an angle with respect to the vertical, said housing being supported on said carrying member, and contact means supported on said housing and engaging said tape at a point close to said exit, said housing consisting of two halves covering edge portions of the tape only, a center portion of the tape remaining uncovered.

5. System according to claim 4 wherein the tape is convexly bent with respect to the center of the coil.

6. System according to claim 4 wherein the tape is of width and convexly bent with a curvature of 2", said housing having a removable bottom to permit access.

CHARLES N. EHRLICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,157,278 Blackmore May 9, 1939 2,259,628 Fener Oct. 21, 1941 2,276,935 Como Mar. 17, 1942 2,283,524 White May 19, 1942 

